Dogs can be dangerous. And they are more dangerous to children than to adults. But here's the reality. Dogs almost never kill people. A child is more likely to die choking on a marble or a balloon, and an adult is more likely to die in a bedroom slipper related accident. Your chances of being killed by a dog are roughly one in 18 million. You are five times more likely to be killed by a bolt of lightning.

The supposed epidemic numbers of dog bites splashed across the media are absurdly inflated by dubious research and by counting bites that don't actually hurt anyone. Even when dogs do injure people, the vast majority of injuries are at the Band-Aid level. Yet lawmakers, litigators, and insurers press for less dog ownership. This must stop. We must maintain perspective. Yes, dogs bite. But even party balloons and bedroom slippers are more dangerous.

Addresses: dog bites - big danger or cultural phobia; the actual numbers; fear factors, why don't dogs hurt people more often; what is aggression; the current state of research on dog bites; legal liability questions; why do we want dogs anyway; simple strategies for reducing dog bites, more.